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At least 50 dogs have died from after allegedly ingesting poison-laced food left at the Sungai Chua Industrial Area in Kajang
According to Sin Chew Daily, the victims were either strays or dogs raised by factory owners in the area.
The incident first came to light on 9 July when a woman filed a police report after discovering five dead dogs outside her shop.
She said the dogs appeared to show signs of poisoning, including trembling and foaming at the mouth.
The woman also found food believed to have been laced with poison scattered around the area, with flies seen swarming around it.
She added that this was not an isolated incident, noting that 10 dogs were found dead on 16 July, followed by another nine on 19 July in the same area.
She said she knew of at least 30 dogs that have died, including three of her own.
As the area is dimly lit at night, she believed the suspected perpetrator may have taken advantage of the poor lighting to scatter poison-laced food without being detected.
Another witness claimed the food was believed to have been strategically placed at locations where dogs frequently gathered
She said she had personally witnessed several dogs suffering seizures after eating the food, before dying about 30 minutes later.
Although some of the food was collected for laboratory testing, more suspected poison-laced food was found in the following days, leading her to believe that the person responsible had continued returning late at night.
Multiple police reports have been lodged over the past month, while the Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) has also been alerted to the suspected poisonings.
Factory owners have since installed CCTV cameras at their premises in an effort to identify those responsible and are offering a RM1,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.
Meanwhile, Kajang Municipal Council member Kwan Say Hong acknowledged that stray dogs posing public safety concerns remain an issue but stressed that the public should not take matters into their own hands
In a statement published on Facebook on Sunday, 2 August, Kwan said he had held a meeting with business owners, workers, animal welfare NGO representatives, and the management of the security company responsible for the industrial area.
Besides discussing the dog poisoning incident, the group also explored measures to manage the stray dog population, promote responsible dog ownership, and raise awareness among business owners and workers.
They also agreed to implement trap-neuter-return (TNR) and vaccination initiatives in collaboration with animal welfare NGOs.
Speaking to China Press, he reminded pet owners to practise responsible ownership by applying for dog licences and ensuring their dogs are not allowed to roam unsupervised outdoors.
"We do not encourage letting dogs roam freely because, under Kajang Municipal Council (MPKj) bylaws, even licensed dogs are not permitted to wander outside their owner's premises. Otherwise, they risk being caught by the dog-catching squad," he said.
Kwan added that under the council's bylaws, residential properties or factories with land exceeding 1,000 sq m may keep up to four dogs. However, the dogs must remain within the premises and be vaccinated.
